Top 5 Most Surprising Things About Percy Weasley
by allikitty699
Summary: There are a lot of things most people don't know about Percy. PW/OW, slash. Mostly fluff, T for language. CHAPTER THREE  CHRISTMAS CHAPTER  UP!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Percy is always portrayed as so one-dimensional. Every single time I list my top 5 favorite characters (Severus, Remus, Arthur, Ron, Percy) everyone scoffs when Percy's name comes up. So, I wanted to show Percy some love (and give you the opportunity to do the same) by showing him the way most people won't see him: through the eyes of the person who loves him the most. ^_^Oh, and as always: I don't own Harry Potter. It belongs solely to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros (as much as I would love to say differently...)._

**TOP 5 MOST SURPRISING THINGS ABOUT PERCY WEASLEY**

**5. He Snores.**

Percy snores. And not the cute, angelic snuffling one would associate with the demure, rigid boy. No, Percy snores like the love child of a jackhammer and a chainsaw. Oliver often finds himself shocked at the growling, snorting noises coming out of that lithe body.

And so it was the night before Puddlemere's biggest game.

"Percy."

_Snoooorrrkkkkk…_

"Percy!"

_SNOOOORRRRRKK…_

"_Percy!"_

Percy snapped up, looking blearily around. "Ha? Wha… Whaswrong?"

"The fact that I can't effing sleep and I have a game tomorrow, that's what's wrong!" Oliver snapped.

Percy looked bewildered. "Um…" He sat up, suddenly businesslike. "Are you asking me to have sex?"

"Pardon?"

"When you can't sleep, you always ask for sex," Percy explained, blinking the sleep from his eyes. "So, do you want to have sex?"

"Well… I guess, but that's not really what I meant." Oliver sat up, rubbing his eyes. "It's three o'-bloody-clock, and I have yet to fall asleep. You have to do something."

Percy frowned. "Oliver, I'm afraid that I really don't know how to help you."

Oliver made an exasperated noise and fell back against his pillow. "Can you just, I don't know, sleep on the couch or something? I'm exhausted. I can't handle this right now. I have to be in top shape… What?" He scooted back, unnerved by the look on Percy's face. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Percy sniffed, looking deeply offended. He leaned forward and slapped Oliver's shoulder, making him yelp. "What's _wrong_? My boyfriend just asked me to sleep on the couch, that's what's wrong!"

"Oy, oy!" Oliver scooted wildly away from Percy's continued attacks. "It's not my fault, okay? It's just… I can't sleep with your snoring!"

Percy froze, then drew himself up. He was swollen with angry indignation, and he spoke through gritted teeth. "I – do – not – snore!" he hissed, his face pink. "How dare you _insinuate_ –"

"Insinuate?" Oliver couldn't help but start laughing despite the terror quivering in his stomach and the frantic voice squeaking _Shut up! _in the back of his head. "I'm not insinuating anything, love, I'm just saying that I can't sleep with a roaring monster next to me!"

Percy twitched, then threw off the covers. "Oh, please! I am not going to sit here and listen to you lying through your teeth just to try and make me feel ridiculous."

"What? Why would I do that, Perce?"

"Because that's what you've _always_ done! Ever since first year, you've delighted in making me feel foolish and flustered! Well, no more!" Percy was gathering blankets and pillows, ripping them out from under his lover. "I stood for it when we were mere roommates, but I simply will not tolerate such treatment now that we're together!"

Oliver stared. "You're mad!"

"Tell it to the empty bed." Percy huffed and started making his staggering way to the door.

"Percy, Percy, wait." Oliver struggled out of bed, tripping over his own feet. Percy stumbled around to glare at him. "I always knew this day would come, Perce."

"What day?" Percy sniffed.

Oliver couldn't hide his smirk. "The day you realize you aren't perfect."

Percy's jaw dropped, and Oliver was reminded powerfully of the jokes made by his lover's family that always seemed to bring that same expression to his face. After a spluttered, "How _dare_ you!" Percy, to his surprise, plunked back down on the bed and started arranging the sheets in a frenzy.

"Perce? What are you doing?"

"Going to sleep. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I thought you were going to sleep on the couch." Oliver attempted to sound innocent, but Percy's eyes told him plainly that he had failed.

Percy laughed bitterly. "Oh, no, no, no. That's what you want." He laid back, arms crossed over his chest and staring at the ceiling. "I am staying here with my nonexistent snoring all night." He shot Oliver a cold look. "Deal with it."

Oliver groaned and pulled his pillow over his head as the horrible chain-saw growling started up once more. The only thing that bothered Oliver more than Percy's snoring was his stubborn refusal to believe - even for a second - that he was not the sophisticated model of perfection that he seemed so convinced he was.

_A/N: Thanks so much for reading, and please leave a review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Oh boy. Life. Since my last update, I've started a new year at college, gotten a real job, gotten even farther in my novel, and contracted mono (which is now gone! :D). All in all, it's been interesting. With how tough this chapter was to write, I'm thinking (hoping) the next one will be easier. I think it will be. Thank you all for your patience and reviews, I adore you guys. Happy holidays!_

**4. He's Allergic to Strawberries.**

Oliver Wood had no idea that his boyfriend was allergic to strawberries until their one-year anniversary.

That morning had started as one of the greatest the Quidditch captain had ever experienced. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, he had been a bit surprised to see Percy plunk down next to him and dig into his porridge. The Head Boy had taken to grabbing a bit of toast from the table before going for a walk around the lake - undoubtedly as a way to keep the Weasley twins from seeing him and making yet another Big Head Boy joke. That day, however, he poured a bit of marmalade over his porridge, swallowed a spoonful, and said, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having, "So, I think that today's the day."

"The day for what?" Oliver asked blankly, scanning through his memory. "Oh, blimey, that paper for McGonagall isn't due, is it? I've barely started!"

"No," Percy answered, "though you really should get on that. It's our one-year anniversary, correct?"

"I remembered," Oliver said automatically. "Right? I put that mint plant by your bed with that card?"

Percy smiled. "Yes, I saw it. Thank you."

"Because you said you love mint, but you hate the syrups and gums because they're all sweet. I remembered."

"I know."

"So you're not allowed to be mad at me."

Percy's smile widened. "I know that. Why do you assume I'm angry with you?"

"You came in and sat next to me. I just figured I'd be getting told off. You know, as it's you."

Percy looked both confused and a tad wounded. "Good lord, am I really that awful?"

"Not awful, really, just…" Oliver stopped. He knew better than to antagonize the other boy, especially on a day that was so important to them both.

"So, as I was saying." Percy caught Oliver's eye and smirked a very devilish, almost Fred-and-George-like smirk. "I think that today's the day."

"The day for what?" The Keeper was slightly unnerved by the look in his boyfriend's blue eyes.

Percy seemed barely able to contain a goofy grin, though it was clear that he didn't want to seem eager or overly-enthusiastic. "I was thinking," he said, just loudly enough that Oliver was the only one who would hear, "that today is the day that I'd like to lose my virginity."

Oliver was so surprised that, without thinking, he asked, "To who?"

"Oh, well, the other day I noticed that Professor Snape has a rather nice backside, so… You, you berk, who else?"

Oliver could only gape at him for a moment before his face broke into an enormous grin. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Rarely am I not," Percy replied, but he was still trying desperately to hold back an excited smile. "I heard a couple of fifth years talking about some room that turns into whatever you want it to be. It took me nearly a month, but I finally found it. We can use that."

Oliver's heart did a slight tap-dance. If Percy had been planning this for a month, then it was definitely going to happen. Percy Weasley's plans were so precisely laid out that the Head Boy would consider it a crime not to follow through on them.

"Right then." Oliver nudged Percy's knee with his beneath the table. "Just tell me where it is and how to get in. I'll meet you at seven o'clock."

"Okay." Percy scribbled down the directions on a spare bit of parchment before standing up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I look forward to it, Wood." And with yet another shockingly mischievous look, he was off, leaving Oliver in a nearly breathless state of excitement.

The rest of that day passed achingly slow. Oliver could barely keep his mind focused on his work (which he paid dearly for with a strict talking-to from Professor McGonagall for conjuring a badger instead of a rabbit, causing mass panic and more than a few injuries). Once supper came around, he wolfed down his bit of ham before racing to the mysterious Room of Requirement.

Oliver strolled back in forth in front of the blank stretch of wall, each time thinking, _I need a romantic room for two that no one else will be able to get into._ After his third repetition, he saw that a door had appeared. He checked his watch; six-thirty. _Ah, well. I suppose I can just wait for him in here._

The room certainly had done a good job. The plush, round mattress was clad with red satin sheets and a fluffy comforter. He placed the box of truffles he had bought for his boyfriend on the bedside table before rummaging through the set of drawers on the other side. "All right!" he whispered to himself. "Strawberries and champagne!" He pulled them out, examining them. "So… sophisticated. Percy's going to love it."

He held the small bowl of strawberries beneath his nose and took a deep breath. He loved the heart-shaped fruits, and he certainly couldn't say he hated champagne. After a moment's speculation, he murmured, "Eh, I'm sure he won't mind if I start a bit early on," and took a great bite of one of the berries.

By the time seven o'clock had come around, the strawberries were gone. Oliver had hidden the bowl under the bed and thanked the lord that he'd managed to keep himself away from the champagne when the door opened.

Percy looked around anxiously before closing the door behind him. He grinned at Oliver. "Excellent room, isn't it?" he asked quietly. He looked positively giddy. It was unlike him, but Oliver couldn't help but grin. Excitement looked incredible on Percy's sharp features.

"It's a lot more excellent, now you're here," Oliver said quietly. He hoped he didn't have strawberry seeds stuck in his teeth as he strutted towards his boyfriend, pushing the thin Prefect's back against the door and kissing him deeply.

Percy pulled back after a moment with a quizzical look on his face. "What?" Oliver asked nervously.

"Nothing. You just taste… sweet." Percy seemed to shake it off, leaning in for yet another kiss. As they pulled apart, the redhead smiled anxiously. "Sorry, I'm a bit nervous."

"No problem." Oliver pulled him over to the bed. "I got you these," he said, handing the smaller boy the box of truffles. "I didn't eat any of them, either."

"That's a first." Percy smirked as he took a bite. His look quickly changed to one of confusion.

Oliver quickly poured him a glass of champagne. "Sorry. Do you not like it?"

"It's not that," Percy said with a small frown. "They just taste… strange. It's familiar, but I can't really place it." He took another thoughtful bite. "They taste like you just did, actually."

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, er, yeah. About that. You see, when I got here, there were – Perce? Are you okay?"

Percy's frown had become more pronounced, and he had raised a hand to his throat. He took a breath to begin speaking, then found himself overcome by a coughing fit.

"Percy? Oy, Perce, what's wrong?"

"I…" Percy was gasping for air. "I… can't… breathe right…"

"Shit!" Oliver looked terrified. "Do you have asthma or something? You don't need to go to the hospital wing, do you?"

"Allergies…" Percy's breath was becoming labored and wheezy. "But… only to…" He closed his eyes and grit his teeth. "_Oliver… were those… strawberry?_"

"Yeah, but what would – oh, _fuck_!" Oliver moaned, looking tortured. "You're allergic to strawberries?"

Percy nodded, eyes wide.

"Damn it all, Perce! You couldn't tell me this before? We've been together for a year! It seems rather important to tell me if there's food out there that can kill you! What were you waiting for? Or did the fact that a fruit could kill you _slip your mind_?"

"_OLIVER!"_ Percy hissed desperately. "_This – is not – the time – is it?_"

"No, you're right. Apologize to me later." In his haste to hurry Percy out of the room, Oliver missed the glare his boyfriend shot at him.

Madame Pomfrey managed to fix Percy up in minutes. The Head Boy's throat still felt itchy and somewhat tight, but he could breathe easily, and the pressure was easing with each passing minute. It was up to Oliver to come up with a plausible story to tell the Healer to explain just _why_ Percy had been eating strawberries in a deserted part of the castle with his roommate. (He didn't think he did a very good job – he very much doubted that Madame Pomfrey would believe that they had been intent on starting the Great Strawberry War of 1994, in which they had thrown strawberries, strawberry jam, and strawberry tarts at each other from across the dungeons, with Professor Snape's consent. It certainly didn't help his case that he told her that she couldn't ask Professor Snape what had happened, as he was quite drunk at the time and would have doubtless forgotten.)

Percy rolled his eyes after Madame Pomfrey had gone. "Wonderful story, Oliver," he rasped. "Remind me to grant you some sort of award."

"I didn't hear you helping!"

Percy gave a dry laugh. "Well, I'm dreadfully sorry that I was unable to speak properly. You know, seeing as I almost died."

"But why didn't you _tell_ me?" Oliver groaned, sinking onto the bed beside Percy. "Obviously, if I had known, I wouldn't have given you poisonous chocolates. I nearly killed you!"

"I'm fine, Ol," Percy said gently. "I just didn't think to mention it. It's not as though you've ever seen me eat anything strawberry-flavored. You've seen me actively avoid the stupid things. Why would you buy me something like that?"

"Because strawberries are supposed to be classy and romantic!" Oliver wailed. "I'm sorry, okay? It's just that, you know, you're such a cool, sophisticated guy, and I'm such a bloody sod. You're always so romantic and brilliant."

"Romantic?" Percy wheezed, trying not to laugh. "Do you remember how I told you I wanted to go out with you?"

"Um…"

"That's because I didn't. You found a book of mine with 'PW + OW = True Love Forever' scribbled in the margins. After which I gave you a note that said, 'Do you like me? Circle yes or no.'"

Oliver snickered at the memory. "Yeah, I remember that. It was sweet."

"For a ten-year-old girl. For a sixteen-year-old man, it was pathetic and socially awkward." Percy smiled. "Let's be honest, Oliver, you're much better with people and feelings than I am. There's a reason people like you much more than they like me." Percy put his hand over Oliver's. "I love you the way you are. I don't need strawberries and chocolates and champagne. You're wonderful to me."

Oliver smiled. "You're amazing too," he whispered. "I really am sorry."

Percy shook his head. "I suppose I am too. I wish I hadn't made you feel like you need to impress me." He pulled Oliver down so they were lying side by side and nuzzled the Keeper's shoulder. "For the record, strawberries are the only deadly allergy I have. Though I am quite allergic to dust."

Oliver chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He moved to give Percy a kiss, but the smaller man moved back, eying Oliver nervously. "Don't worry, love, I rinsed my mouth out."

Percy grinned and pecked him on the lips. "You know what? I think this is the best anniversary we've ever had."

Oliver laughed loudly, earning a glare from Madam Pomfrey. "Maybe we should do this every year."

"Sure." That mischievous look was back. "As long as we get to have sex first next time."

_A/N: How'd you guys like it? Please R+R, and, if you're interested, message me with a request! I love a challenge!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hi guys! I know it's been a while. I won't lie, I've been blanking on what to do with this couple for a long time, but Christmas always offers inspiration. : ) You guys are absolutely amazing, and I couldn't help but give you a chapter that I hope will help make it a merry Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanza, or any other holiday or non-holiday, whatever you happen to celebrate). _

_I wanted to write a story where Percy is being cute and a little silly. I know he has a fun side in there somewhere! I hope you guys like it as much as I liked writing it._

_Also: If any of the italics are running together, that is not intentional. I had a problem with that recently, so if that happens, please let me know. Thanks!_

**3. He Loves Christmas – a Lot. **

Oliver hadn't come from a religious family. They gave each other small gifts on Christmas, but it was like most other days to him, hardly on his radar aside from the elaborate decorations and slightly grating music.

Which is why, a week before his first Christmas living with Percy, he was stunned to find his apartment packed to the brim with evergreen branches, twinkling lights, and fat little snowmen.

"Perce?" His duffel bag fell to the floor with a thump. He stared, open-mouthed, at the veritable garden of poinsettias that had sprung up on his kitchen counters. "Why does it look like we robbed Santa Claus?"

"Yes, yes, very funny, Oliver." Percy poked his head into the kitchen from his living room. "Would you mind helping me?"

"With what? Cleaning up after a reindeer?" When he didn't get an answer, he felt himself begin to panic. "You _didn't _get a reindeer, did you?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Please. Reindeer would need much more space than this." He grabbed Oliver's hand and tugged him insistently into the living room.

"How do you know that?" Oliver asked, frowning. A second later, his jaw had dropped. "Percy… What in God's name is that?"

"It's a Christmas tree, Oliver. What else would it be?"

"That's not a Christmas tree!" Oliver jabbed a finger at the hulking pine monstrosity before him. "That's an entire bloody forest! Where did you even find that thing? Did Hagrid grow it for you?"

"I found it at a lot. It's a perfectly acceptable Christmas tree." Percy shoved a star into Oliver's hands. "Would you mind putting this on top for me? I'm going to go scare up more decorations."

Oliver stared. The tree was already sagging beneath great glass orbs of red, gold, and white. Twinkling white lights peaked out from behind nearly every needle. Glittering magical snow littered the branches. Red bows had been meticulously tied on in an orderly pattern. "You have _more? _How many?"

Percy shrugged. "A box or two."

"I don't think they'll fit, love." He was frankly amazed that the rest weren't already falling off.

"Of course they will." Percy pecked Oliver on the cheek with a smile. "I'll be back in a minute."

As it turned out, Percy's boxes were more like barrels. By the time he was done with the tree, not a speck of green needle could be seen. He seemed perfectly content to let Oliver sit and watch him in stunned silence as he flitted around, adding more and more decorations until their flat had been transformed into a demented Santa's workshop. When Oliver closed his eyes, he saw red and green.

Percy finally collapsed by him on the couch with a satisfied sigh, sipping at a glass of eggnog and admiring his work. "It looks rather nice, doesn't it?" he asked happily, curling up beside his boyfriend.

"Yeah." Oliver didn't know what else he could say. After Percy had taken a vacation day off work (_Percy_ took a day off _work_ – he could hardly imagine) just to decorate, he felt it wouldn't be tactful to tell him that he found Christmas elves a bit creepy and the lights absolutely garish. The mountain of presents beneath the tree had been wrapped so meticulously and beautifully that he couldn't imagine opening them. (In fact, the only thing he could think while looking at them was that he needed to buy Percy something much bigger than the daily planner he had gotten him.)

Percy glanced at him and, for the first time that day, frowned. "Is something wrong, Ol?"

"No, of course not!" Oliver tried to grin, instantly overcome by a sense of guilt. He hated that he might have wrecked Percy's excellent mood. "No, the place looks… great."

That tiny hesitation was all it took. Percy set his glass down on a coaster and turned to him, concerned. "What is it?"

"It's just that…" Oliver sighed. "Don't you think this is a bit much, Perce?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean look around! There were at least three dancing Santas in the hallway alone. There's so much glitter on everything I think I might be going blind. It's just strange that a grown man would want to live in something so cheesy."

Percy looked around the room, a blush slowly creeping over his face. "I-I suppose you're right," he mumbled, sinking down in his seat. "It looks rather ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"Not _ridiculous_." Oliver hadn't imagined that he would take it so hard. He put an arm around his shoulders, but Percy shrugged him off.

"It's fine." Percy smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You don't like it. I can take it down."

"You don't have to," Oliver began with a grimace, but Percy shook his head.

"It's _fine_, Oliver. I'll take it down tomorrow when I get home from work." He planted a kiss on Oliver's temple and shuffled out of the room like a wounded puppy.

Oliver groaned, slumping to rest his head in his hands. _Congratulations, Ol,_ he thought bitterly. _You've broken his spirit. _It wasn't often that he got to see Percy light up the way he had when he'd been decorating. He just couldn't understand why Percy – reserved, uptight Percy, of all people – would be so fanatical over a holiday. Even the most religious people Oliver knew didn't have as many baby Jesus figures as he'd seen strewn about their flat that day.

It didn't change the fact that Percy had looked miserable when Oliver criticized it.

"Percy?" He knocked gingerly on their bedroom door and slowly pushed it open. "You okay?"

Percy jumped and looked up with the painfully false smile. "Of course! I'm fine."

"You're not." Oliver sat beside him, careful not to touch him. Percy could be like a scared rabbit when he was embarrassed, and he didn't want to scare him away. "C'mon, love. Please. Tell me."

Percy dropped his head, intent on his feet. He grabbed a small, wrapped candy cane from the dresser and began breaking it apart. "I suppose I don't really know. I just miss it all, I suppose."

"Miss what?"

"A real Christmas." Percy smiled sadly. "Hogwarts was always so bright and beautiful and festive around this time of year, and I loved it. People were just so much _better_. Sometimes I felt like that was the only time of year that…" He trailed off, cheeks pink.

"What?" Oliver placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You know you can tell me. You can tell me anything."

Percy took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, steeling himself. "Sometimes I felt like that was the only time of year that people treated me like a real person."

Oliver felt a pang deep in his chest, and he pulled Percy to him. "Oh, Perce."

"I know that probably sounds stupid, but it's true." Percy tossed the thoroughly crushed candy cane on the nightstand. "People didn't laugh at me quite as much at Christmas. They didn't steal my things or call me names. Even Fred and George were almost pleasant. It was a nice change of pace."

Oliver frowned. "You didn't tell me people did that."

"Did what?"

"Take your stuff or call you names."

Percy snorted. "I'm sure you heard your share of the names, Oliver."

Oliver shrugged. The pang in his heart had turned into a spark of rage. How could anyone do something to cruel to another human being? Especially one who was so bright and driven, someone who was uniquely sweet and unwaveringly fair? "I knew Fred and George picked on you a bit, but I didn't realize other people did."

"It was behind my back, for the most part. And no one would dare say it to you." Percy looked up at him, laying his head against Oliver's shoulder. "They knew that you would be upset."

"Of course I would! They have no right –"

"I know, Ol," Percy chuckled. "Believe me, I do. And I appreciate that so much."

They sat in silence for a few moments. The only sound was the fire crackling in the fireplace. Finally, Percy whispered, almost as if it were a secret, "It wasn't just at Hogwarts. Christmas was always better at home, too."

Oliver nodded. Percy rarely spoke about his family since he'd left the Burrow a little over six months before, but Oliver knew he missed them. Despite what people might have thought, Percy had feelings. He missed his parents and siblings. He missed his home. He was just too stubborn to admit that he wanted to go back.

"That was the only time I really got to spend with my parents," Percy said. "None of my siblings were all too interested in Christmas apart from receiving gifts, and my mother was often too busy preparing food and gifts to pay much attention to anything else, but I always helped my father. We would decorate and talk. I loved it. We had more in common than you would think." He laughed. "I actually find batteries quite interesting, truth be told."

Oliver grinned. "That's a bit sad, love."

"I know." Percy curled into Oliver's side. "Now that we're not speaking, however, I have no one to do any of that with. I still love Christmas. I love decorating and cooking and all of that. But I really do miss having someone to do that with."

Oliver wrapped both arms around his boyfriend, burying his nose in his fiery hair. "You _do _have someone, love. You have me."

"I know that you're not a huge fan of the holidays, Oliver. It's alright."

"It's not." Oliver put a finger beneath Percy's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "I love you, Percy. And if something is important to you, it's going to be important to me. That's all there is to it."

Percy's eyes seemed overly bright, but he pressed his lips against Oliver's in a hard, determined kiss. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"You have."

Percy shifted into Oliver's lap. "Can I say something that might sound a bit, well, stupid?"

"You never sound stupid."

Percy rolled his eyes, but said, "I suppose being alone on Christmas makes me feel a bit rejected. I know that leaving home was my decision, but… I never felt like I fit in there. I never felt like they really _wanted _me there, except for the holidays. Now that I'm not there for Christmas, it makes me realize how little I really mattered to them."

Oliver hugged Percy tightly. He hoped his lover couldn't see the tears welling in his eyes. "Well bullocks to them, then," he growled. "They're just too stupid to realize what you're worth."

All of the tension and stress left Percy's body, and he kissed Oliver again with a smile on his lips. "I love you so much, Ol."

"Right back at you, Perce."

On Christmas Eve, while Percy was busy preparing dinner, Oliver saw an owl hovering outside their living room window. He opened it and the owl – old and bedraggled – collapsed to the floor with a parcel addressed to Percy. After offering the poor bird a bowl of water, Oliver opened the package. Inside was a plain blue sweater, just a shade darker than Percy's eyes.

He recognized it instantly – the annual Weasley sweater. He clutched it hard, and his cheeks burned.

A sweater. _A bloody sweater. _Their son had been gone over six months, and the only thought they could spare for him was to send him one of the ugly, uninspired sweaters that they gave all of their children every year. To them, Percy wasn't special. He wasn't interesting and fun and _brilliant_. He was just one of the carbon copies that they had brought into the world and felt forced to care for. They couldn't pay enough attention to him to even consider giving him something that he could enjoy, or that would show that they even knew a single thing about him.

Oliver sloppily rewrapped the package and, once Errol had recuperated a bit, sent it back into the night.

"What was that, Oliver?" Percy called from the kitchen. "Did we get an owl?"

Oliver watched the owl struggle through the night sky. "No. It was nothing, love."

Percy appeared, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "Well, then, dinner's ready." He pecked Oliver on the cheek. "Does ham, potatoes, and pudding sound alright?"

Oliver smiled. "It sounds perfect, Perce." He pulled the redhead into a hug. "Just like you."

_A/N: Please R&R, and have a very merry Christmas!_


End file.
